Plows for moving snow have been around for almost two hundred years, and the first patent for a snow plow to move snow from a railway is said to have been issued in the 1840s. Indeed, the first snow plows include wedges or blades affixed to horse drawn carriages that could move snow from roadways. The first plow affixed to motor equipment was recorded in 1913 by Good Roads Machinery company in Kennett Square, Pa., and is widely credited as creating the first modern snow plow.
A type of snowplow is known as a “snow pusher” (also known as a box plow, containment plow, or box style plow) and is designed to move snow by pushing it straight ahead. The snow pusher has a curved moldboard that lies perpendicular to the direction of travel and a sidewall at either end that keeps the snow contained. For parking lots, runways, laneways, and other like roadways, this is an improvement on the traditional snow plowing, which uses an angled plow to move snow to the side. Snow pushers allow the snow to be moved en masse and completely off site to be piled someplace out of the way.
Snow pushers are often disposed on heavy machinery, such as front loaders, skid loaders, bulldozers, dump trucks, or other like equipment due to their size and weight. Specifically, the box plow itself is typically of a three-walled construction, with the blade element disposed between two sidewalls. The blade typically sits fixed as the rear wall of the box plow for pushing the snow forwardly and containing the snow within the two sidewalls.
While snow pushers may be utilized to move a large amount of snow completely out of the way (as opposed to merely deflecting snow to the side as in a snow plow), snow pushers often have difficulty in situations where there is limited space, and no ability to push snow forwardly. For example, a snow pusher has great difficulty removing snow from near buildings or other structures because a snow pusher can only move the snow forward.
A need, therefore, exists for a snow pusher or box plow apparatus that may be utilized for areas where snow cannot be moved forward. Specifically, a need exists for a snow pusher or box plow that can move snow away from buildings or other structures.
More specifically, a need exists for a snow pusher or box plow that can move snow rearwardly. Moreover, a need exists for a snow pusher or box plow that can move snow both forwardly and rearwardly.
Further, a need exists for a snow pusher or box plow having a blade for moving snow disposed between two side walls that is disposed in a first position in a rear of the box plow and in a second position at a front of a box plow. Still further, a need exists for a snow pusher or box plow having a blade that is rotated between a first position at a rear of the box plow for pushing snow forwardly in a traditional manner and a second position at a front of the box plow for pulling snow rearwardly.